Behavioral health disorders have a wide range of treatments, however, recently there has been growing use of peer providers with lived experiences of mental health and substance use for the prevention and treatment of these disorders. Peers are effective providers of behavioral health treatment who encourage recovery through resilience building, empowerment, and self-advocacy. There remains…
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and recent federal and state policy shifts impacting behavioral health care delivery, the use of telebehavioral health has rapidly increased. This growth appears to be here to stay and research must be conducted on what this means for the field. This article describes behavioral health provider perspectives on the use…
ArrayReport August 1, 2021https://www.healthworkforceta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BHWRC_Behavioral-Health-Paraprofessional-Accredidation-Standards.pdfArray, Array August 1, 2021
Many children with mental health issues in the United States do not receive necessary treatment due to a shortage of child psychologists. Existing research on the supply of child psychologists may not take into proper account the number of psychologists without a child and adolescent specialty credential that is needed to treat patients in this…
Mental health paraprofessionals are important for helping to provide services, reduce costs, and address workforce shortages. Different subspecialities of paraprofessionals have different certification requirements that vary greatly by state and limit their scope of practice. This report describes a study that analyzed the data on requirements to become a certified behavioral health paraprofessional in each…
The use of telebehavioral health has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic with policymakers adjusting regulations to facilitate the delivery of telebehavioral health services. Given the increase in its use, more research is needed to understand the experiences of those receiving, delivering, and supporting telebehavioral health services. This report discusses a study that…
Behavioral health paraprofessionals are essential for assisting in the treatment of patients, supporting clinicians, and helping sustain the behavioral health workforce as a whole. However, due to a number of factors, paraprofessionals experience high levels of turnover and burnout. This report describes a study that conducted a literature review as well as key informant interviews…
The use of peer providers on behavioral health service teams is a potential solution for reducing costs and improving patient outcomes. Unfortunately, comparative studies of the use of peer providers are methodologically challenging due to the lack of standardization of peer roles and training requirements. This article discusses a study that conducted a literature review…
Health care workers are at increased risk of emotional distress during a health crisis because they shoulder the burden of the public’s trauma as well as their own. Unfortunately, mental health services for health care workers during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic are often insufficient and more research is needed to understand what strategies…
Older adults increasingly experience social isolation, anxiety, and depression due to the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriage and family therapists as well as mental health counselors are essential for meeting the behavioral health needs of older adults, but their services are not covered by Medicare. This article describes current Medicare legislation when it…
